Almost everything has changed within the Daniel Boone football program over the past six months, but one thing remains in place, insists senior quarterback JD Okuniewski.

"The attitude's the same," assured Okuniewski. "We still play Boone football. Everybody has that same Boone football attitude: We play hard."

That's been a Boone staple over the past decade. The Blazers carved out a reputation in the Berks Football League for their hard-nosed, inspired play.

They won a lot of games along the way, too, capturing section championships in 2004, 2006 and 2010. They've made nine straight playoff appearances and have won six straight District 3 playoff openers.

The greatest run in Daniel Boone history began in 2003 when Dave Bodolus became head coach.

The question is: Did it end when Bodolus abruptly resigned in February?

Senior lineman Ethan Myers insists it hasn't.

"Even though we did lose a lot of great players and a great coach, we still feel as though we're continuing the Daniel Boone legacy," Myers said.

That legacy was turned over to 36-year-old Bill Parks, a former assistant at Pottstown who played his high school ball at North Penn.

Parks has been going 24/7 since being hired in mid-April. He's had to evaluate new players, put together offensive and defensive schemes, form an all-new coaching staff and get the program up and running.

The cupboard literally was bare when he took over, with 18 of 22 starters gone, including the Berks Player of the Year, Tommy Bodolus; the Berks Receiver of Year, Darrell Scott; and the Berks Defensive Lineman of the Year, Zack Robinson.

That's a lot of Players of the Year.

Despite the late start and the vast changes, Parks says the one constant in the program has been the players. He didn't inherit any certified stars, just a bunch of guys dedicated to the game, and to their program.

"They're good football players," Parks said. "From the start I knew that they had football knowledge. They've been coached well. Coach Bodolus did a great job teaching them the game. We've got tough, hard-nosed kids. They've stepped up to every challenge that I've given them.

"These guys have had a winning tradition since they were in youth league, and they expect to uphold that this year, and I don't expect anything less."

Even without any coaching change the Blazers would not have been considered a top contender in Section 1. They're just too green, and the competition, as always, is mighty tough.

The vast turnover only makes it that much tougher on the Blazers, but you couldn't tell by visiting their preseason camp. There were no alibis present.

"They've got a tradition to uphold," Parks acknowledged. "They've got big shoes to fill. They know that. They're up for those challenges."

Center Rhett Glaser is the lone holdover on offense. Who he'll be snapping it to remains in question: It could be Okuniewski, a receiver last season, or junior Steve Sievers.

Parks isn't giving out many details about what the offense will look like other than to say that he plans to spread the field and that he's fond of the passing game.

That's hardly a foreign concept around Birdsboro; the Blazers built their success on some of the top passers and receivers Berks has ever seen.

Okuniewski, linebacker Ryan Bologna and back Xavier Smith return from the league's top-ranked defense. Parks plans a similar style there, with a 3-4 look that his players seem well-suited for.

Parks wants his players to take pride in the past, but he doesn't want to be tied to it.

"We're staying focused on where we want to go, not what's gone on," he said. "We're here to raise the bar and move forward. They have higher expectations than they did last year, and we don't really have time to look at what happened here in the past. We need to move forward."